Please read the following closely. Special conditions exist for senior scholars applying for funding. All scholars applying for housing grants or graduate student travel grants, are required to submit a one- to two-page research proposal. The proposal must clearly indicate the policy relevance of the proposed research to be considered for funding.

Grant monies are provided mainly by the U.S. Department of State Title VIII Program, which requires that all award recipients be engaged in policy relevant research. According to the Federal Register (Vol. 69, No. 230, Dec. 1, 2004), Title VIII supports research that provides "knowledge related to current U.S. policy interests in the region, broadly defined. This includes, but is not limited to, such topics as resolution of ethnic, religious, and other conflicts; terrorism; transition economics; access to information; women's issues; human rights; and citizen participation in politics and civil society . . . . The Title VIII Program supports research topics that strengthen the fields of Eurasian and East European Studies, and that address U.S. policy interests in the region, broadly defined. Historical or cultural research that promotes understanding of current events in the region is acceptable if an explicit connection is made to policy relevant issues, broadly defined."

In sum, the fundamental goal of the SRL and the Title VIII Program is to facilitate and fortify the fields of Eurasian and East European Studies. We therefore ask all SRL grant applicants to "think deeply and articulate the possible policy connections that can be made from their unique on-the-ground experiences, data, methods, and conclusions” (as noted in an August 2004 memorandum from the Title VIII Program committee). Applicants might consider, for example, how their projects could assist U.S. government policymakers in understanding the countries or peoples with which they work, how they pertain to international relations, or how their findings might contribute to policymakers’ knowledge of cultural heritage.

Although applications from all disciplines are welcome, graduate students and junior scholars, especially those working in underrepresented fields (anthropology, business, economics, education, law, political science, sociology) or areas (the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Central Asia), are especially encouraged to apply.

Please note, senior scholars (those other than graduate students and assistant professor) may only receive funding if they are conducting direct policy relevant research.